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BOOT CAMP 066
BACK TO BASICS -- HARD DISC CLEAR OUT
There's nothing quite like switching on a new PC for the first
time. Windows loads in just a few seconds, the machine is empty but full of possibilities
and there's a feeling that this time you're never going to run out of hard disc
space…
Thankfully with the advent of inexpensive multi-gigabyte
hard disc drives constantly running short of disc capacity has become much less
of an issue, though it certainly hasn't gone away, software applications and
files always seem to expand to fill the space available. However, the real problem
with large hard disc drives is there's less incentive to clear out redundant
programs and the rubbish left behind by freebie magazine CD-ROMs, quite as often
as you should. When inevitably the space-remaining pie chart (My Computer > right-click Drive C: >
Properties) is mostly blue the task of freeing up wasted space becomes that
much more arduous.
This week, as part of our short series on PC spring cleaning
we're going to look at ways of recovering some or all of that lost storage
space and how to maximise your hard-disc drive's performance so that all of your
applications operate a little more smoothly.
But first a few ground rules. Never, ever remove
applications from Windows Explorer by deleting folders unless you know exactly
what you are doing. That's just asking for trouble, most programs create lots
of extra files that end up inside Windows and deep-rooted system files. At boot
up Windows looks for registered programs, if any are missing you'll get error
messages or worse! Where possible always
use a program's own uninstaller or the Windows Add/Remove Program utility in
Control Panel. Better still get hold of a software removal program like
CleanSweep, Uninstaller or WinDelete. Whenever you delete a program or files
Windows (or your chosen uninstaller program) only removes references to it on
the hard disc, or compresses and backs up the data in case you change your mind.
It's a good idea to only remove one or two large programs at a time and always wait
a few days before emptying the Recycle Bin or deleting the backup to make sure that
your actions haven't affected Windows or any other programs.
The Internet is a major source of clutter; web browsers like
Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator hoard almost everything you download
in files called caches. Unless the size of the cache is regulated or emptied
regularly they will quickly swallow up tens, possibly hundreds of megabytes of
hard disc space. Caches can be safely cleared out using the delete function in Windows
Explorer. Internet Explorer stores them in a sub folder in Windows called Temporary
Internet Files. You will be asked if you want to delete 'cookies' these are
small data files that help speed up access to frequently visited sites. You can
erase them if you like but since they only take up a very small amount of space
(typically around 100 or so bytes) they're not worth bothering about, unless
you have a lot of them, or you don't want others to know which sites you have
been visiting. Netscape Navigator's cache lives in the Navigator program folder.
The option to control the size of Internet Explorer's cache is
on the View Menu under Internet Options, select the General tab and click the
Settings button for details. The size of Navigator's cache can be set by
clicking 'Network Preferences' on the Options menu and then selecting the cache
tab.
A quick way to recover almost 5Mb of wasted space is to
delete some large tutorial and animation files that are loaded with Windows, assuming
of course that you no longer need them. They can be found in the Windows Help
folder, use Windows Explorer to open Help and look for file icons that look
like video cameras they're listed as 'video clips'. They can be safely deleted
but remember they will be sent to the Recycle Bin and the space they occupied
will not become available until after the bin is emptied. Whilst you are inside
Windows look for a folder called Temp. This contains temporary files created by
Windows and other programs that for one reason or another have been left
behind. Providing then have the extension '.tmp' they can be safely zapped. If
you have Windows 98 you can clear Temp files and other unused bits of Windows
using the Disc Cleanup utility. This can be found on the disc space pie chart
dialogue window (see above)
Windows housekeeping and uninstaller programs like those
mentioned earlier have additional redundant file finding utilities that can
search out and remove duplicate files and fragments of old programs that are no
longer needed. They are also worth having because they monitor and log new
software installations so they can do a more thorough job of removing them,
when the time comes.
Finally, when you have finished clearing your hard disc, and
after the Recycle Bin has been emptied, you should reorganise all the files on
your hard disc, to make them more accessible and load faster. The first step is
to run a Windows program called ScanDisk, which checks file integrity and the
disc drive for faults. Before you begin exit all running programs, switch off
the screensavers and disable any power-save functions. To run ScanDisk go to
Start > Programs > Accessories and System Tools. It's a good idea to
choose the 'Thorough' option though save it for a quiet day or lunch hour as it
can take quite a while, especially on a large capacity drive. When ScanDisk has
finished its work, go back to System Tools and select Disk Defragmenter or
'defrag' but again save this job until you have an hour or two to spare.
Windows 98 users can schedule these operations to be carried out automatically --
during the night or any time that is convenient -- using the Maintenance Wizard,
also listed on the Systems Tools menu.
It's a good idea to carry out a mini spring clean at least once
a month -- more often if your machine is well used -- remove any unused
programs then run ScanDisk and Defrag.
Next week -- networking your PC
JARGON FILTER
DEFRAGGING
Over time the files on a PC's hard disc drive become
disorganised, 'defragging' the drive restores order and speeds up reading and
writing data
TEMP FILES
Temporary files, ending in '.tmp' are created by Windows and
other programs and normally deleted automatically though some will remain if
Windows crashes or is not shut down properly
UNINSTALLER
A program removal utility included with a lot of Windows software;
programs with uninstallers are usually (but not always) listed in Add/Remove
Programs in Control Panel
TOP TIP
If you compose your E-mails
using MS Word, or write articles then copy and paste the document into Outlook
Express you might like to know there's an easier way. Go to the File menu on
Word, select Send To then Mail Recipient. This will open the Outlook E-mail
window, with your document already attached, all you have to do is select the
address and click Send. You have to make a couple of adjustments to Outlook
Express first, however. On the Tools menu choose Options and on the General tab
ensure 'Make Outlook Express my default
e-mail program' is checked, then put a tick next to 'Make Outlook Express My
Default Simple MAPI Client'. (MAPI stands for messaging application
programming interface). Restart the PC and it's done.
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